Seismic Characterization of a Landslide Complex: A Case History from Majes, Peru

Seismic characterization of landslides offers the potential for developing high-resolution models on subsurface shear-wave velocity profile. However, seismic methods based on reflection processing are challenging to apply in such scenarios as a consequence of the disturbance to the often well-defined structural and stratigraphic layering by the landslide process itself. We evaluate the use of alternative seismic characterization methods based on elastic full waveform inversion (E-FWI) to probe the subsurface of a landslide complex in Majes, southern Peru, where recent agricultural development and irrigation activities have altered the hydrology and groundwater table and are thought to have contributed to increased regional landslide activities that present continuing sustainability community development challenges. We apply E-FWI to a 2D near-surface seismic data set for the purpose of better understanding the subsurface in the vicinity of a recent landslide location. We use seismic first-arrival travel-time tomography to generate the inputs required for E-FWI to generate the final high-resolution 2D compressional- and shear-wave (P- and S-wave) velocity models. At distances greater than 140 m from the cliff, the inverted models show a predominantly vertically stratified velocity structure with a low-velocity near-surface layer between 5–15 m depth. At distances closer than 140 m from the cliff, though, the models exhibit significantly reduced shear-wave velocities, stronger heterogeneity, and localized shorter wavelength structure in the top 20 m. These observations are consistent with those expected for a recent landslide complex; however, follow-on geotechnical analysis is required to confirm these assertions. Overall, the E-FWI seismic approach may be helpful for future landslide characterization projects and, when augmented with additional geophysical and geotechnical analyses, may allow for improved understanding of the hydrogeophysical properties associated with suspected ground-water-driven landslide activity.